Social Sharing

The main point of a recent cartoon on the SNC-Lavalin affair that depicted Jody Wilson-Raybould tied up with her mouth covered in a boxing ring with the prime minister got missed because of the violence, Michael de Adder says.

Social Sharing

Main point of cartoon on SNC-Lavalin affair got missed because of violence, says Michael de Adder

"You know your job as a cartoonist is to make your point — not make a point you didn't intend," de Adder said.

The cartoon, posted Feb. 15, 2019, is set in a boxing ring and it shows Jody Wilson-Raybould in one corner with tape over her mouth, tied up and sitting on a stool.

In the other corner of the ring is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, dressed ready to box. Senior political adviser Gerald Butts, shown wearing glasses and a suit, tells Trudeau, "Keep beating her up, solicitor-client privilege has tied her hands."

The crux of the SNC-Lavalin affair is a question of whether the prime minister pressured Wilson-Raybould — who was attorney general — to resolve the corruption and fraud case against the Montreal-based company.

"The intent of the cartoon was not to attack [Jody Wilson-Raybould] — it was intended to attack the Liberals," de Adder said.

These cartoons of JWG bound, gagged and beaten on have got to stop. They are not funny and help desensitize us all to the violence inflicted on women every day in this country. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://t.co/IFprdKwuGi">pic.twitter.com/IFprdKwuGi</a>

My cartoon did not intend to upset people. It was not intended to offend women, make light of domestic violence or trivialize indigenous issues. I am human, I make mistakes, I will strive to do better. I will no depict women in violent situations going forward.

He said there is always conflict in politics and said an effective, visual way to show it in a cartoon is through violent imagery. It could be people fighting in a ring, two people fighting with scissors, people engaged in a brawl.

For future cartoons, de Adder said he'll put more thought into how to show conflict.

"I'll tackle it as I go. I'm not saying there won't be a female politician throwing a punch ... it's going to be hit and miss for me, but I'll strive to do things slightly differently," he said.

But he still plans on creating more cartoons about SNC-Lavalin and Wilson-Raybould.

He said the goal of a political cartoonist is to get as close to the line as possible, if not over it once in a while.

"It doesn't mean my cartoons are going to change very much," he said. "It just means that I'm going to make the same point a different way. You know life goes on. I'll just be subtle differences. I'll still get into trouble."